The police on Wednesday registered an FIR after a 22-year-old visually-impaired student of Jadavpur University was allegedly ragged by an ex-student of the varsity at the hostel inside the campus in Kolkata last week.
The victim, Budhhadeb Jana, a third-year-student of International Relations, has been trained in judo since he was a school student at Ramkrishna Mission Blind Boy’s Academy in Narendrapur.
“I just defended myself when he tried to assault me. I didn’t want to take the law in my own hands. Secondly, he was my senior,” Jana said, on being asked why he didn’t retaliate despite being trained in martial arts.
Jana had won bronze for India at the 2019 Commonwealth Para Judo Championship in Birmingham.
“We received a complaint from the university authorities and registered an FIR under sections 341, 323, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation is going on,” said a senior police officer of Kolkata Police’s south-suburban division.
The incident took place on the evening of November 7 when Jana, a resident of GC Sen hostel, went to the New Block hostel to meet a friend. A class test was scheduled on November 9 and Jana was looking for a writer who could help him write the exam.
{{/usCountry}}The incident took place on the evening of November 7 when Jana, a resident of GC Sen hostel, went to the New Block hostel to meet a friend. A class test was scheduled on November 9 and Jana was looking for a writer who could help him write the exam.
{{/usCountry}}“I can see very little and that too with thick glasses,” he said.
Jana is partially blind since birth and had passed his board exams studying at the Blind Boy’s Acadamy. He is also trained in swimming and judo.
“The ex-student had come to the New Block hostel. He suddenly approached me asking my name and came too close. As he was in an inebriated state, I didn’t like the smell of alcohol and asked him to step back. He got furious and tried to assault me, which I blocked with my hand as defence. This infuriated him and he started pushing, abusing and threatening me. My friend rescued me and brought me out,” he said.
Jana raised a complaint with the university vice chancellor, and the varsity later lodged the police complaint after an internal enquiry.
“Soon after getting the complaint from the student, the university’s anti-ragging squad started a probe and placed a report before the anti-ragging committee. They then placed it in the executive council meeting, which decided to lodge a police complaint,” said Snehamanju Basu, registrar of the university.
On Thursday, the Forum for Students with Disabilities in Jadavpur University staged a protest; there are around 150 specially-abled students at Jadavpur University.